When in Rome… Errrr, Sweden.
Life is so %&#*ing good, I can taste it in my spit. ~ XXXX, Layer Cake
Being a non-Swede in Sweden, and being asked to make gravlax, is a bit like being a non-Catholic in Italy, who has just been asked by the pope to perform communion. So for two days I sat on pins and needles as my gravlax cured in the refrigerator, hoping and praying that it would turn out well and that my experimentation with raw fish wouldn’t kill anyone. At the end of the two days, I removed the salmon from the fridge and unwrapped it. It smelled good, really good. I began to slice long, thin, pink strips but before I could even put them on a platter for the morning breakfast spread, it was snatched from my cutting board. I waited with baited breath… “Mmmmmm”, The Swedes said. “Mmmmmm”, is always good to hear. I was told it was the best they’d ever had! And since gravlax is, like, the national food of Sweden – I’ll wear that one like a badge of honor. Thank you! I laid out of a big platter of my homemade lox alongside thin slices of cucumber and tomatoes, a basket of fresh bread, hard-boiled eggs and cheese and I am proud to announce that I have been unofficially crowned an honorary Swede. And nobody died from eating my raw fish. Yay!
Gravlax
1 cup fine sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1 bunch basil, stems and all
2 bunches dill, stems and all
1 salmon filet, approx 3-4 lbs. Scaled, and pin bones removed
(Since the salmon is not cooked, use the freshest possible salmon. Fortunately for me, fresh salmon is not in short supply here in Sweden!)
In a small bowl combine salt and sugar. Rinse and pat salmon dry and lay on cutting board, flesh side up. Slice salmon in half widthwise. Sprinkle salmon halves with dill seeds and then coat both halves of salmon heavily with salt mixture. Layer fresh herbs on one side of the salmon, starting with the basil and then the dill. Sandwich both pieces of salmon together with herbs in between. Sprinkle any remaining salt mixture on salmon skin and around exposed flesh. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place salmon sandwich in glass baking dish and place a plate or baking dish on top of it. Weigh the plate down with either two large cans of tomatoes, a few bricks or free-weights between 2 and 4 pounds and place in refrigerator. Flip the salmon over every 12-hours and replace the weights. The salmon will be ready to eat after 48 hours, but can cure for up to a week. The longer the salmon cures, the texture will become more dense and drier. I usually cure my salmon for 2 to 3 days.
Remove the gravlax from the fridge, unwrap and remove the herbs. The rule of thumb with knives is: the thinner the blade, the thinner the slice. When it comes to slicing gravlax, the best knife to use is a long, thin slicer. Make long thin slices at about a 45 degree angle, against the grain of the flesh. If you’re in New York, pile it on a bagel with cream cheese, red onion and capers. But, if you want to enjoy it the Scandinavian way, eat it with cucumbers and tomatoes and fresh brown bread with butter!
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